20211130 Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is Abhidheya, Part 2

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 30th November 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today is the compilation of Caitanya līlā book, the chapter today is entitled:

Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is Abhidheya, Part 2
Under the section: The Process of Devotional Service

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.17

bhakti nirapekṣa abhidheya evaṁ karma-jñāna-yogādi bhakti-sāpekṣa —

kṛṣṇa-bhakti haya abhidheya-pradhāna
bhakti-mukha-nirīkṣaka karma-yoga-jñāna

Translation: Devotional service to Kṛṣṇa is the chief function of the living entity. There are different methods for the liberation of the conditioned soul — karma, jñāna, yoga and bhakti — but all the others are dependent on bhakti.”

Jayapatākā Swami: Bhakti yoga is the topmost yoga, it is the topmost process of Self realization for everyone can participate in bhakti-yoga.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.18

bhaktira āśraya vyatīta karma-jñāna-yogādira niṣphalatā—

ei saba sādhanera ati tuccha bala
kṛṣṇa-bhakti vinā tāhā dite nāre phala

Translation: Without devotional service, all other methods for spiritual self-realization are weak and insignificant. Unless one comes to the devotional service of Lord Kṛṣṇa, jñāna and yoga cannot give the desired results.”

Purport: In the Vedic scriptures, stress is sometimes given to fruitive activity, speculative knowledge and the mystic yoga system. Although people are inclined to practice these processes, they cannot attain the desired results without being touched by kṛṣṇa-bhakti, devotional service. In other words, the real desired result is to invoke dormant love for Kṛṣṇa.

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.2.6) states:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā yayātmā suprasīdati

The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.”

Karma, jñāna and yoga cannot actually awaken love of Godhead. One has to take to the Lord’s devotional service, and the more one is inclined to devotional service, the more he loses interest in other so-called achievements. Dhruva Mahārāja went to practice mystic yoga to see the Lord personally, face to face, but when he developed an interest in devotional service, he saw that he was not being benefited by karma, jñāna and yoga.

Jayapatākā Swami: Dhruva Mahārāja thought he wanted broken glasses but by achieving devotional service and by seeing the Lord, he had gotten diamonds. So his dīkṣā-guru Nārada Muni had given him the mantra to chant, told him to go to Vṛndāvana and bathe three times a day in the holy Yamunā river. So, in this way his devotional service for the Lord was awakened.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.19

naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitaṁ na śobhate jñānam alaṁ nirañjanam
kutaḥ punaḥ śaśvad abhadram īśvare na cārpitaṁ karma yad apy akāraṇam

Translation: ‘When pure knowledge is beyond all material affinity but is not dedicated to the Supreme Personality of Godhead [Kṛṣṇa], it does not appear very beautiful, although it is knowledge without a material tinge. What, then, is the use of fruitive activities — which are naturally painful from the beginning and transient by nature — if they are not utilized for the devotional service of the Lord? How can they be very attractive?’

Purport: This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.12). Even after writing many Vedic literatures, Vyāsadeva felt very morose. Therefore his spiritual master, Nāradadeva, told him that he could be happy by writing about the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Up to that time, Śrīla Vyāsadeva had written the karma-kāṇḍa and jñāna-kāṇḍa sections of the Vedas, but he had not written about upāsanā-kāṇḍa, or bhakti. Thus his spiritual master, Nārada, chastised him and advised him to write about the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore Vyāsadeva began writing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, that’s way the Śrīmad-bhāgavatam is considered the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree. By reading Śrīmad-bhāgavatam one gets an attraction for the devotional service for the Supreme Personality of Godhead and becomes fully satisfied.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.20

kṛṣṇārpaṇa binā yāvatīya karma-kāṇḍa—saṁsārajanaka —

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (2.4.17)—

tapasvino dāna-parā yaśasvino manasvino mantra-vidaḥ su-maṅgalāḥ
kṣemaṁ na vindanti vinā yad-arpaṇaṁ tasmai subhadra-śravase namo namaḥ

Translation: ‘Those who perform severe austerities and penances, those who give away all their possessions out of charity, those who are very famous for their auspicious activity, those who are engaged in meditation and mental speculation, and even those who are very expert in reciting the Vedic mantras are not able to obtain any auspicious results, although they are engaged in auspicious activities, if they do not dedicate their activities to the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I therefore repeatedly offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose glories are always auspicious.’

Purport: This is also a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.4.17).

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows that the process done karma, jñāna, or yoga, if the results is not offered to Kṛṣṇa if there is no devotional service with it, it will not yield auspicious result.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.21

bhaktibihīna jñāna muktiprada nahe; mukti—bhaktira dāsī—

kevala jñāna ‘mukti’ dite nāre bhakti vine
kṛṣṇonmukhe sei mukti haya vinā jñāne

Translation: Speculative knowledge alone, without devotional service, is not able to give liberation. On the other hand, even without knowledge one can obtain liberation if one engages in the Lord’s devotional service.”

Purport: One cannot attain liberation simply by speculative knowledge. Even though one may be able to distinguish between Brahman and matter, one’s liberation will be hampered if one is misled into thinking that the living entity is as good as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, one falls down again onto the material platform because considering oneself the Supreme Person, the Supreme Absolute Truth, is offensive. When such a person comes in contact with a pure devotee, he can actually become liberated from material bondage and engage in the Lord’s service.

A prayer by Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura is relevant here:

bhaktis tvayi sthiratarā bhagavan yadi syād daivena naḥ phalati divya-kiśora-mūrtiḥ
muktiḥ svayaṁ mukulitāñjali sevate ’smān dharmārtha-kāma-gatayaḥ samaya-pratīkṣāḥ

O my Lord, if one engages in Your pure devotional service with determination, You become visible in Your original transcendental youthful form as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As far as liberation is concerned, she stands before the devotee with folded hands waiting to render service. Religion, economic development and sense gratification are all automatically attained without separate endeavor.” (Kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta 107)

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this shows the super excellence of devotional service, automatically all the desired results are easily achieved if one does devotional service.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.22

bhakti-mārgei ekamātra nitya-kalyāṇa, tad-vyatīta śuṣkajñāne vṛthā pariśramai sāra— Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.14.4)—

śreyaḥ-sṛtiṁ bhaktim udasya te vibho kliśyanti ye kevala-bodha-labdhaye
teṣām asau kleśala eva śiṣyate nānyad yathā sthūla-tuṣāvaghātinām

Translation: ‘My dear Lord, devotional service unto You is the only auspicious path. If one gives it up simply for speculative knowledge or the understanding that these living beings are spirit souls and the material world is false, he undergoes a great deal of trouble. He only gains troublesome and inauspicious activities. His endeavors are like beating a husk that is already devoid of rice. His labor becomes fruitless.’

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.4).

Jayapatākā Swami: If one doesn’t add devotional service, then the process of karma, jñana or yoga itself are fruitless, they will not give spiritual benefit.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.23

bhagavat-prapannerai māyā-mukti — Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītāya (7.14)—

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te

Translation: ‘This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.’

Purport: This is a quotation from the Bhagavad-gītā (7.14).

Jayapatākā Swami: This shows how one if surrenders to Kṛṣṇa, they can easily cross over this material nature and they can surpass the three modes of conditional life and achieve the unconditioned status – nitya-mukta.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.24

jīvera saṁsāra bandhanera hetu:—

‘kṛṣṇa-nitya-dāsa’—jīva tāhā bhuli’ gela
ei doṣe māyā tāra galāya bāndhila

Translation: The living entity is bound around the neck by the chain of māyā because he has forgotten that he is eternally a servant of Kṛṣṇa.”

Jayapatākā Swami: The living entity is eternally the servitor of Kṛṣṇa but if he forgets that he comes under the control of māyā, who binds him by the neck and drags him around.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.25

uddhāralābha o prayojana-prāptira ekamātra upāya —

tāte kṛṣṇa bhaje, kare gurura sevana
māyā-jāla chuṭe, pāya kṛṣṇera caraṇa

Translation: If the conditioned soul engages in the service of the Lord and simultaneously carries out the orders of his spiritual master and serves him, he can get out of the clutches of māyā and become eligible for shelter at Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.”

Purport: It is a fact that every living entity is eternally a servant of Kṛṣṇa. This is forgotten due to the influence of māyā, which induces one to believe in material happiness. Being illusioned by māyā, one thinks that material happiness is the only desirable object. This material consciousness is like a chain around the neck of the conditioned soul. As long as he is bound to that conception, he cannot get out of māyā’s clutches. However, if by Kṛṣṇa’s mercy he gets in touch with a bona fide spiritual master, abides by his order and serves him, engaging other conditioned souls in the Lord’s service, he then attains liberation and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s shelter.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here it is mandated that we should unequivocally surrender to Kṛṣṇa and offer Him devotional service. Following the directions of spiritual master, the prescriptions for devotional service may vary over time, therefore the spiritual master he gives the process by which the disciple can be liberated. Śrīla Prabhupāda has provided some guidelines here and those are the guiding rules for the spiritual masters to engage his disciples in devotional service.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti is Abhidheya Part 2
Under the section: The Process of Devotional Service